Why Care at 50?

Why I Care About Health in My (near) 50s

Here is a sobering fact. Everyone in my immediate family on both my mother’s and father’s side passed away before the age of 60. Not because of hereditary disease but because of poor habits and preventable health issues. What makes that even harder to swallow is that the generation before them lived well into their hundreds.

They were farmers. They moved their bodies every day, worked with their hands, and ate real food. They lived simply, but they lived long.

Another part of that legacy lives on in a place called the Red House in West Virginia. The Underwood family name runs deep there. We still have old photos that show how healthy and vibrant they were. You can see the strength in their posture and the pride in how they carried themselves. That history reminds me that longevity is possible, but it takes intention.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”

1 Corinthians 6:19

Now that I am in my 50s, I do not take health for granted. I have had surgeries, experienced unexpected setbacks, and been forced to slow down more times than I would like to admit. But through all of it, one thing has become clear. My health is not just physical. It is emotional. It is spiritual. And it deserves my full attention.

I work out because I want to live. Not just survive, not just get by, but actually live. I want to feel strong and confident. I want to walk through life with energy and peace in my body. I want to be able to lift my future grandbabies, travel without limits, and move freely. I do not want to repeat the same pattern I saw in my family, and I know that choosing differently now makes a difference later.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

Proverbs 31:25

For me, health is a form of stewardship. God gave me this body. It has been stretched, rebuilt, cut open, and healed. But it still shows up for me. And I want to show up for it. That means eating well, moving regularly, getting sleep, and learning when to push and when to rest. It means showing discipline even when no one is watching, because it is not about a number on the scale. It is about honoring what I have been given.

When I care for my health, I am better in every role I hold. Daughter of God, Wife, Mother, leader, friend, and Aunt. I think more clearly, lead with more strength, and love with more capacity. I have also learned that taking care of myself is not selfish. It is preparation. For the long days, the hard conversations, the unexpected news, and the people who need me.

This picture was taken at the height of my unwellness. I knew something had to change, but I didn’t know where to begin. So I started with what I could do—research. I read blogs like this one, drawn in by the stories of others who had been where I was. Their honesty and progress gave me the push I needed to begin my own.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

Colossians 3:23

Health is about building a future. I am not interested in quick fixes. I am interested in longevity, in strength, in peace. And if I have to be the one to break the generational cycle, I will. That is why my journey took five years, and if I was able to do it, anyone can choose a similar path for themselves.

When you are not healthy, you really only have one problem because without your health, everything else takes a back seat. But when you are healthy, you have a hundred problems and the strength to face them all. That is a gift. Embrace it, protect it, and do not take it for granted.

This chapter of life is about ownership. It is about grit, grace, and refusing to settle. One workout, one habit, one prayer at a time.

Dedicated to the Ones Who Came Before Me

If they had known better, I believe with all my heart they would have chosen differentlyand they would still be here with us today.

This post is lovingly dedicated to the family members whose lives shaped my own my father, Bruce Underwood, and my grandparents Dudley and Elaine Underwood, and Frank and Joyce Abbey. To my Aunt Susan Brewer, Uncle Frank Abbey Junior, and Aunt Shawna Abbey. To my father-in-law, Adolfo Hernandez, and my brother-in-law, Daniel Hernandez. Each of you, in your own way, left a mark on this world and on my heart. Though your time here was shorter than it should have been, your stories, your laughter, and your presence live on in me. This journey toward health and longevity is one I walk with your memory close. I carry the lessons, the legacy, and the love forward—one day, one choice, one step at a time.